Rotary gas-engine.



,. J. W. PLIMPTDN.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE. (Application filed Apr. 25, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 683,705. v Patented net. I, new.

J. w. PLIMPTDN.

ROTARY GAS ENGINE.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 1900.) lo Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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JAMES W. PLIMPTON, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,705, dated October1, 1901 Application filed April 24, 1900.

To all whom, it 111.04g. concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. PLIMPTON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Oil City, in the county of Venango and State ofPennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful improvements inGas-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements ingas-engines; and it aims to construct an engine of this character toovercome the uneven irregular power production and transfer which isusual in en gines of this class.

The invention further aims to construct an engine which shall beextremely simple in construction, strong, durable, efficient in itsoperation, and comparatively inexpensive to set up.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement of parts to be hereinaftermore fully described, andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail referonce is had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and Whereinlike numerals of reference indicate correspondin g parts throughout theseveral views, in which Figure 1 is an end View of my improved engine.Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional viewthereof. Fig. 4 is an end view, partly broken away, showing one end ofthe housing in vertical section. Fig. 5 is a Vertical sectional view ofone portion of the drive wheel or disk, showing the explosion-chamber.Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sliding-plungerabutments. Fig. 7 is a perspective view thereof. Fig. 8 is a sectionalView taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is an enlarged verticalsectional view of one end of the housing. Fig. 10 is an enlargedvertical sectional view of the igniter.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 and 2 indicate thesections of the housings, mounted upon a suitable base 3. Each of thehousings has formed integral centrally thereof with their outer faces anauxiliary housing 4, provided near the top thereof with a longitudinalopening 5, which extends entirely through the same. The sections of thehousings are suitably secured to Serial No. 14,162. (No model.)

5 of the auxiliary housings are the slidingplunger abutments 1O 11, theplunger 10 having one face formed with a tenon 12, which is adapted tobe seated in the cylindrical recess 13, formed in the meeting face ofthe plunger 11. The plungers are each'provided with a spring-pressedpacking,which consists of two pieces of suitable flexible material 14,connected together by the spring 15. This packing is seated within asuitable opening 16, arranged near the inner face of each of theplungers, and serves to prevent the explosive mixture passing around theplungers when the latter are within anyone of the explosion-chambers ofthe drive-wheel 7.

Mounted upon the base3 are a pairof standards 17, having journaled intheir upper end by means of bearings 18 the drive-shaft 19, 8o which hassuitably keyed thereon a drive wheel or disk 7 Secured to thedrive-shaft 19 at each side of the disk 7 are the collars 20, each ofwhich is provided with an oppositely-arranged cam-groove 21.

Mounted upon each of the auxiliary housings 4 isa pair of uprights 22,to which is fulcrumed by means of the pin 23 an operatinglever 24. Oneend of this lever 24 is arranged within the cane-groove 21, while theopposite end extends down through the slot 8 and is connected to theouter end of the sliding plungers, as at 25. Arranged-upon thedrive-shaft 19, at each side of the drive wheel or disk 7 are thegear-wheels 26, which 9 5 mesh with the gear-wheel 27, supported by thebracket 28, mounted upon the auxiliary housing. The outer face of thegear 27 has suitably connected thereto, as at'29, the piston-rod 30,carrying a piston-head 31 of the feed-cylinder 32. This cylinder 32'issuitably secured to the upper face of the auxiliary housing 4, as at 33.Each of the auxiliary housings 4 is provided with an inlet-port 34,which is connected to a suitable source of air and gas supply or otherexplosive mixture and opens at its inner end into the feed-cylinder 32.The inner end of each of these ports is closed by means of the valveEach of the auxiliary housings is further provided with anigniting-chamber 36, connected by means of the port or passage 37 tothefeed-cylinder 32. The upper end of this port or passage 37 is closedby a suitable flap-valve 38. The arrangement of the valves 35 and 38 issuch that on the downstroke of the piston the valve 38 opens and thevalve 35 closes. The operation of the valves is reversed on the upstrokeof the piston.

Extending down through each of the auxiliary housings is an electricaligniter 39, which is operated by trip-lugs 40 coming in contacttherewith and completing the electric circuit formed integral with thesides of the drive wheel or disk 7. This electric igniter may be of anydesired construction. The drive wheel or disk 7' is cast solid and therim thereof provided with a pair of ridges 4:1, suitably spaced apartand further provided with diametrically opposite openings 42, forming apair of explosion-chambers. The innor faces of the sections 1 and 2 ofthe housings are cast with an annular recess, so that the rim of thewheel when operating through the housings will fit neatlywithin therecess, as shown in Fig. 3. The inner face of each of the sections ofthe housings is further provided with a suitable packing 43, whichengages the rim of the wheel as the same passes therethrough. Thispacking may be of any preferred construction and is indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 4:. One of the walls of each of the explosion-chambers istapered, as at 4.4.

The operation of my improved engine is as follows: Assuming that thepiston has been brought to the position as shown, the explo sive mixturedrawn into the feed-cylinder, the valve 35 being open, as indicated indotted lines, the drive-wheel being revolved will transfer motion bymeans of the gearwheel '26 to the gear 27 to the piston-rod,

causing the same to force the piston downwardly, closing the valve 35,opening the valve 38, discharging the explosive mixture by means of thepassage 37 into the ignitingchamber 36, and when the explosion-chamberof the Wheel or disk registers with the igniting-chamber 36 theexplosive mixture will be forced into the explosion-chamber 42. Duringthis operation the levers 22 will force the plungers together, as shownin Fig. 3, and as soon as the plungers arrive at such position thetrip-lug will engage the igniting mechanism and explode the charge, theforce thereof revolving the wheel and imparting motion to thedrive-shaft 19. As the driveshaft revolves the plungers will be drawnfrom the explosion-chamber of the wheel or disk, so that they will notinterrupt the passage thereof. This operation is caused by means of oneend of the lever operating the cam-groove 21. Of course it will beevident that one or more explosion-chambers can be arranged in thewheel, if desired, and the trip-lugs arranged in proper positionthereto, so that the ignition of the explosive charge will take place atthe proper time.

It is thought the many advantages of my improved gas-engine can bereadily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawin gs, and it will be noted that variouschanges may be made in the details of construction .without departingfrom the general spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. In agas-engine, a pair of housings connected together,auxiliary housingsformed integral therewith, and provided with a longitudinal opening, adrive-shaft, a drive-wheel carried by said shaft and operating betweenthe housings, explosion-chambers formed in the rim of said wheel, a pairof feed-cylinders mounted on the housing and connected to a suitablesource of explosive supply, pistons arranged in saidcylinders,gearingconnecting said pistons of said cylinders to thedriveshaft, ports connecting the feed-cylinders with theexplosion-chambers in the drivewheel, an igniter carried by the housing,and means carried by the drive-wheel for engagement with the igniter toexplode the charge, a pair of plnnger-abutments operating in thelongitudinal opening in the housing and in the explosion-chambers of thedrive-wheel, and pivoted operating-levers having their one end connectedto the plunger-abutments,

means carried by the drive-shaft for actuating the levers and operatingthe said plungers,

substantially as described.

2. In combination with a pair of housings connected together andprovided with auxiliary housings having a longitudinal opening, adrive-shaft, a drive-wheel mounted on said shaft and provided in its rimwith explosionchambers, feed-cylinders mounted on said housings, pistonsgeared to said drive-shaft, said cylinders being connected to a suitablesource of explosive supply, ports connecting said cylinders with theexplosion-chambers, and valves arranged in said ports for controllingthe passage of explosive mixture to the explosion-chambers, an igniterin communication with the explosion chambers, means carried by thedrive-wheel for operating said igniter, a pair of plunger-abutmentsoperating in the longitudinal opening of the housing, and spring-pressedpacking carried by said abutments, pivoted operating-levers connected tothe abutments, and means carried by the drive-shaft for operating saidlevers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES W. PLIMPTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, N. L. BOGAN.

